Lambs, cats dead in barn fire in Winfield Township
WINFIELD TWP — Nobody was injured, but lambs and cats died in a barn fire along Riemer Road on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
According to Saxonburg fire Chief Christopher Dean, no one was inside the barn when the fire started. While some cats were able to escape on their own, the owner’s lambs and other barn cats are believed to have died.
The fire was first reported shortly after 2 p.m. Saxonburg, Herman and Buffalo Township fire departments, alongside Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company Ambulance, arrived shortly after.
Riemer Road was closed around 2:30 p.m. and remained closed until around 5 p.m.
Penn Township, East Butler, South Buffalo, Middlesex, Freeport, Sarver and Harrison Hills fire departments were called to the scene to assist.
To battle the flames, a portable water tank was deployed at the scene, and tankers from responding departments continually traveled to the nearest hydrant. Dean said high wind gusts further complicated the battle.
A neighbor provided a backhoe to assist firefighters with moving rubble.
The fire was quelled around 4:45 p.m. and Dean said the barn was a “total loss.”
